Rival watch

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I think it was to do with moving funds from the academy to their new recruitment system initially. Now they have more funds I guess they're either sticking to what works or it's because it would cost a lot to get the academy off the ground again and with even longer to see a pay off for it.
Seems a little short-sighted to me, to be honest.
If you produce one Premier League player, then it probably pays for several years of it.
And that's ignoring the possibility of bringing through a Grealish and flogging him for £100m.
 
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Anyone know why Utd Villa is playing at 12:30?
Because of the big shadow down the road. <whistle>

It's actually due to a gig in Manchester or something.
I was wondering that earlier and someone filled me in. No idea who it is, though.
Edit: The Courteeners will be playing a concert at Old Trafford cricket ground in the evening.
Who gives a ****? <laugh>
 
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City are in desperate need of a striker, shockingly. Whoever could've predicted that?

They’d probably be winning by a goal or two if they did. Gabriel Jesus simply isn’t of the required calibre. Rudiger has bullied him with ease, expectedly.

Game is set up for Chelsea to hit City on the counter if they can make the right pass, though. They look vulnerable when Chelsea break. Shock.
 
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They’d probably be winning by a goal or two if they did. Gabriel Jesus simply isn’t of the required calibre. Rudiger has bullied him with ease, expectedly.

Game is set up for Chelsea to hit City on the counter if they can make the right pass, though. They look vulnerable when Chelsea break. Shock.
Jesus is playing in off the wing, but there's nobody in the middle and he keeps getting drawn in.
They've got such good players that they can generally get away with it.
It could be just a settling in period as the players get used to it, of course.
Seems ludicrous that they didn't replace Aguero, though. Should've bought two strikers, really.
 
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They’d probably be winning by a goal or two if they did. Gabriel Jesus simply isn’t of the required calibre. Rudiger has bullied him with ease, expectedly.

Game is set up for Chelsea to hit City on the counter if they can make the right pass, though. They look vulnerable when Chelsea break. Shock.

And of course, after I say this, he scores! <laugh>
Deflected goal, though, and frankly, he should have another goal or two if he was an elite level striker.
 
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And of course, after I say this, he scores! <laugh>
Deflected goal, though, and frankly, he should have another goal or two if he was an elite level striker.
I don't really rate him, but he's not in a position to score as often as he'd like, because of the system.
He got that opportunity because the play was shifted to their left for the set-piece.
I think of him more as a forward than a striker, though I'd be hard pressed to articulate the difference! <laugh>
 
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I don't really rate him, but he's not in a position to score as often as he'd like, because of the system.
He got that opportunity because the play was shifted to their left for the set-piece.
I think of him more as a forward than a striker, though I'd be hard pressed to articulate the difference! <laugh>

I agree with you, but I also think his lack of strength, size and ball retention is a problem when he does play up front. He's also not particularly clinical when he does get chances.

He just had another chance where he should have made it 2-0. Thiago Silva cleared it off the line, but he had the whole goal to aim at and he decided to shoot in the one area where there were two Chelsea players <doh>.
 
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I agree with you, but I also think his lack of strength, size and ball retention is a problem when he does play up front. He's also not particularly clinical when he does get chances.

He just had another chance where he should have made it 2-0. Thiago Silva cleared it off the line, but he had the whole goal to aim at and he decided to shoot in the one area where there were two Chelsea players <doh>.
A calmer finisher places that into the far sidenetting and it'd a long way back for Chelsea.
 
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Nice start to the weekend for us. worst case, we're 4 points off 4th but could potentially be level on points with them and a point off top. Considering all the crap we've had at the start of the season, that'll be very welcome.